NDAA passes Congress with wins for High Desert Military Bases
The updated National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which will be signed into law in the coming days includes key initiatives for military instillations in California’s 8th District. The bill also includes U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte’s (R-Hesperia) Federal Career Opportunities in Computer Science Work Act, which will require the government to create career paths in fields such as computer science and data analytics to ensure that the talented personnel needed to help combat cybercrimes are working in federal government.
“I was proud to see the National Defense Authorization Act pass with key initiatives I fought for to support the missions of our local bases, the communities surrounding them, and the cybersecurity of our nation,” said Rep. Obernolte. “It also excludes several harmful items that I had concerns about in the initial House version, including red flag provisions and the creation of an ‘Office of Extremism’ at the Department of Defense. This is a substantially better bill, and I am pleased to see it pass with bipartisan support and proceed to the President’s desk.”
Rep. Obernolte’s Federal Career Opportunities in Computer Science Work Act, originally introduced and passed in the U.S. House of Representatives as H.R. 3533,will increase national security and speed technological advancement by improving the federal government’s ability to recruit and manage experts in the data sciences. Currently, the federal government does not include occupations that allow government civilians to focus on software development, data science or artificial intelligence (AI) outside of pure research and development, a significant shortcoming in developing the capacity to respond to crisis situations that occurred this year such as the Colonial Pipeline hack and JBS meat processing hack.
Rep. Obernolte’s initiative to include in the NDAA $45 million for a wastewater treatment plant at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms is a critical piece of the joint project between the City of Twentynine Palms and the base to address infrastructure shortcomings and improve groundwater recharge and quality of life. Rep. Obernolte also secured $663,224 for the City of Twentynine Palms to support the transition from individual septic tanks to the city-wide wastewater system. Other military installations in California’s 8th District that received support from the bill include $52 million for a simulation center at Fort Irwin National Training Center and $9.12 million for a solar energy storage system at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.